Turtle Cam: Experience An Ocean Reef Like A Real Sea Turtle

The Rainforest Site

By The Rainforest Site

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Have you ever been watching the sea turtle scenes in Finding Nemo or Finding Dory and wishing to yourself that you could feel what it is like to ride on the back of a turtle underwater and see exactly what they see? Well, you might just be in luck.

As part of a tagging project, Nature Conservancy scientists in the Arnavon Islands (part of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific) affixed a small and non-invasive camera to the back of a young green sea turtle.

When the team sends the turtle off to make its way back home in the ocean, you can see all kinds of amazing sights as it swims past other sea creatures and beautiful coral reefs.

The goal of the project is to learn as much as possible about these incredible turtles and how they go about their daily lives and routines, especially “where do they go in the months and years between nesting? How do they always know to return to the beaches where they were born to lay their own eggs? And how can we use this information to do a better job of protecting turtles throughout their lifespans?”

By attaching small cameras and GPS trackers with a harmless adhesive that falls off after about a year, these turtles will help give invaluable insight into the turtles’ movement, feeding, mating, and migration behavior. With this information, Nature Conservancy hopes to help find new and efficient ways to help the species.

The group is also working very closely with the community of the Solomon Islands.

When two of the tagged turtles were poached, Nature Conservancy decided to strike up a conversation with locals about the conservation of these turtles and how valuable it is to help keep them protected.

Community members were given the opportunity to name four of the tagged turtles to help use them as ambassadors to the conservation project.

One turtle was named Mama Kawaki after a women’s group that has dedicated itself to the protection of green sea turtles and spreading the word about turtle protection.

To see the turtles themselves, check out the video below and get ready for an amazing journey to help remind you why these animals are worth protecting!

The Rainforest Site is a place where people can come together to protect our environment for generations to come. In addition to signing important environmental petitions, shopping for the cause, and learning about the natural world, visitors can take just a moment each day to click on a green button to preserve vital wildlife habitat. Visit The Rainforest Site and click today - it's free!